Don't forget the gum is there!

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

She bounced into my Mom’s kitchen, and stopped in her tracks. Looking up, her eyes grew wide as she saw the stash and exclaimed, “Nanaw” (grandma),” I forgot you have gum!” Though my little niece’s comment seemed completely genuine, my mother and I were stunned. For most of Allyson’s short life, my mom has been known to be her chief supplier of gum; and, in grandma-fashion, she has allowed her to chew packs a day. Yet there she stood,-wide-eyed, smiling, and delighted at the gum that awaited her. It all struck me as funny, and my mother and I laughed in amazement as she skipped out of the room with several pieces in hand.

As I pondered the event, the Holy Spirit seemed to whisper, “You know that is how you are,” and I don’t think He meant happy and skipping. I wonder how many times I have been surrounded with God’s blessings and didn’t notice or remember they were there. I wonder how many times I take them for granted and forget God “richly provides everything for our enjoyment” (I Tim 6:17). How many times have I missed or ignored the fact God has really blessed my socks off?

But let’s be real. There are times, when our child-like delight at God’s blessings is choked off by adult cares and worries of this world. The fact is, life is full of troubles, hard, gut-wrenching, sad things; and we are especially apt during these times to forget “the gum is there”. Indeed God lays before us many blessings, and sometimes we just don’t see them. It is especially in these times when we need to be diligent about remembering and looking for His goodness. Maybe life has fallen apart. Perhaps something has happened which you never thought possible, and you wonder if you will ever smile again. The enemy loves this and will do all he can to keep your eyes focused on what you don’t have, what went wrong, or where you messed up. He doesn’t want you to “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” and especially in the midst of the trial. The enemy knows if you turn your eyes to Jesus you will see blessings. Oh they may seem small during your heartache, but they are there. Do you have enough food for today? Do you have people who love you? Can you see the sunset? Can you hear the bird sing? Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have a phone to call a friend? Do you have comfortable pajamas to snuggle up in? And don’t forget you have greater blessings and comforts than all of these if you are a child of God—you have a Savior who died for you and will never leave you, you have the Holy Spirit to guide you, you have His loving Word to comfort you, and you have His assurance that one day every tear will be wiped away, every sickness healed, and every day will be a celebration beyond anything we can imagine. Can you see His blessings? Can you remember they are there? Will you celebrate His goodness (Ps 145:7)? It will do your heart good when you do.

Oh Father, Provider, Helper, Healer, Comforter, thank you for loving me and surrounding me with blessings in this life. Give me eyes to see your Hand and your blessings in each day. Help me remember they are there. When life gets hard…and it does… open my eyes to see You are with me and remind me You go before me. Help me remember you sent your Son to die for me, and that is no small thing. You are good. You are still in control, and you still have good things planned for me and my family. I love you Lord. Thank you for blessing me. Amen.